Freeze
by Coraline Keller
Summary: People say a picture is worth one thousand words. I say, it could mean much more. When you really think about it, one frozen moment can lead to deadly consequences...
1. Chapter 1: The Picture

**P**eople say a picture is worth one thousand words. I say, it could mean much more. When you really think about it, one frozen moment can lead to deadly consequences...

My best friend and next-door neighbor, Julia, was over my house for a few hours. We were hanging out in my backyard, and she'd brought her camera. Julia loved to take pictures; she wanted to become a photographer some day. I, on the other hand, liked nothing in particular to follow it as a career. So I just watched her.

"Look at this one!" Julia said scrolling down to show me a picture of raindrops." I took this one last week" she boasted.

"That is truly amazing." I said sarcastically.

"Thanks!" she said smugly "Hey! Why don't we take pictures in your new room?"

"Maybe later." I said. I always hated other people in my house, no matter how close to me they may be.

"But Kate-eeee" She said in a whiny voice. "I HAVE TO take pictures of it before you bombard the walls with all those stupid, punky, band posters!"

"Fine..." I said angrily. Julia ALWAYS seemed to get what she wanted.

The backyard was fresh with new spring scents. The young grass, lush and green, the sky a powdery blue with smudges of white. I always loved New Jersey in the springtime.

Julia started to take more pictures, and got a little carried away. Every ten seconds was a spontaneous "click". Before she got on my last nerve I decided to give in to her offer to take pictures in my newly designed room.

"One LAST picture!" She wined

"NO!"

*CLICK! * Right in my face...That's nice...

"Oops..." She said sheepishly, batting her ice blue eyes.

God, I wish I looked like her. She was perfect. Silky auburn hair, dazzling white teeth, and a clear face...Yeah she was a knock out. I wasn't ugly, in fact I sort of liked the way I looked, I have chocolate brown eyes with hair to match, the only thing I really don't like about myself is that I perspire a lot so I always feel...sticky...yuck!

In my room Julia stared at the freshly painted walls, they were lavender.

"LOVE the color." She said sing-songy

"Thanks I picked it out."

Julia snapped a shot of the walls and went to her photo library in her camera. As she scrolled down to see how the picture came out her face grew very pale and she began to shiver…

"WHAT IS IT?!" I said frightened.

In that picture was a pale smudgy figure that was NOT in the room...


	2. Chapter 2: The Theory

"It's nothing!" Julia said trying to convince me that it's no big deal. But seeing that pale smudge in the photo just didn't set in right. It didn't seem...normal.

The next day Julia came over, I was in my room. "Hiya!" she said startling me. "Dude you're all jumpy today, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing..." I said, staring at the wall, sometimes I make things too obvious.

"Oh, not that again! Look It's nothing but defective photo, though I AWAYS take perfect pictures."

"I know." I grumbled

Suddenly a book flew off my bookshelf.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I screamed

"Kate! It's nothing, I mean really, do you think you in some sort of horror flick and some sadistic ghost wants you dead?"

"You're right" I lied, and I shudder at the possibility. "It's probably nothing, come on lets watch T.V."

So there we were, two bored sacks of crap flipping through the channels, till something stopped me. A show called 'Strange Happenings' came on. Mind compelled me to watch. The segment was on ghosts, now I really wanted to watch it.

"Oh come on Kate," said Julia

"Shh-shhh" I said sharply

* * * * * * *

The show said ghosts are lonely creatures (sounds like us on Saturday nights) that have lost there way to the light...or erm fire I guess...It said that they could communicate with the living, and they move things with violent force to get the 'living's' attention. Julia just said it was a bunch of bull, but what frightened me was that most ghosts are captured on film. At that moment I could have sworn that I heard the word "Hi" whispered in my ear...


	3. Chapter 3: Dreams

That night I dreamt about a boy. He's no one I've ever seen before, but so oddly familiar. He was very pale and about my age. His hair was short and a bright red, as if it was on fire and his eyes were black as coal. I've never seen someone with such odd features before...

_"Hi"_ He said in a gentle voice.

"Hi" I said. **IT SPEAKS**!!!!'

_"My name's Andy...yours?"_ he said, still very soft.

"Kate" I said shaken

_"Hey calm down, you look like you've seen a ghost...Oh...oh wait... I am a ghost... yeah, see it's very hard to get use to."_ said Andy.

He's a bit...stupid I concluded.

"YOU!" I hissed "You freaked me out for days!!!"

_"Oh...well...you're not the ONLY one I've frightened in these past couple of weeks."_

"What do you want!"

_"I need help."_ he said very seriously.

"With WHAT!" I said with agitation

_"Oh...um...well the usual thing you 'livings' "help" us with"_

"I do not understand"

_"*sigh* You know who murdered us, how do we get into the light that kind of wonderful stuff." _His sarcasm bothered me.

"Wait! You were murdered?" I asked

Before he could answer a loud ringing began which to my discomfort was my alarm clock, I woke up. Was Andy..._real_?

At school I was out of it. Before class began Julia was yammering on about some dumb skirt she was saving up for. When the teacher came in, she announced that we had a new student...great...Then stepped in a boy with fiery red hair...


	4. Chapter 4: Andy

My eyes grew wider by the millisecond. I KNEW the boy. It was Andy, the boy from my dream, the...GHOST! My mind raced, my stomach ached, and my head felt heavy. He WAS real, and he was staring straight at me, with his soulless eyes.

"Well child." The teacher began. "You may begin with your name..."

His eye started twitching. _"Um...Hello, my name is...Andrew, Andrew Stewart..."_ He said

_*Andrew...Andy*_

"_But you may call me, __**Andy**_" He glanced at me as he said this.

"Well, Andy, please, tell us a bit about yourself" the teacher said while fiddling with something on her desk.

_"Well, I don't live too far from this school, I play the piano, um...I like dinosaur chicken nuggets, and I have a cat named Jinx."_

"Very...erm interesting, Andy. Now you may sit were you like."

He gave the teacher a quick nod, and scouted for a seat. He conveniently found one right behind me...damn! As the teacher started her lecture on...whatever, I could feel Andy's cold gaze on the back of my head, I wanted to throw up. Finally what seemed like decades the bell rang, school was over. I gathered my books as fast as I could...I HAD to get out of there, but Andy stopped me.

"_Hey"_ he said with a warm smile.

"Hey" I repeated. *Gee that's ALL I could think of, how stupid!*

"_You look um...familiar have we...met?_" His black eyes glistened like a doll's.

"I can't say that we have...but your right you also look so familiar." I said studying his face.

_"Well, I'll see you later then?"_

"Um...Sure." I said walking out of the classroom

Julia met me outside.

"Hey! So…you and the new kid eh?" She said with a smirk.

"NO!" I barked.

"OK! Geeze clam down! I haven't started a rumor...yet."

I had to laugh.

"Well thank you for not completely ruining my life." I said backing up to exit the school.

We walk for a little bit, our houses where not too far from the school, and then we approached the spooky graveyard that was located not a block away it. Legend has it; the newly deceased walks the earth and finds a victim to feed upon before they could rest in piece…. I even thought it was a stupid story.

"Oh no, the graveyard." Julia said, "That place ALWAYS freaked me out. I mean who's dumb enough to build a graveyard near a school."

"I don't know, but remember hold your breath when passing it...shows respect for the dead." I laughed

She giggled "Yeah, you and your superstitions!"

*Meow*!

"Hey, look it's a cat" I said "Come here kitty-kitty. I wonder what it's doing here, in a cemetery?"

"Don't pick it up!" Julia said in horror. "You don't know where it's been!"

"Well it belongs to someone, see there's a collar."

'Jinx' it read

Then I heard the softest melody on a piano….


	5. Chapter 5: The Visit

I was relived to see I made it home without any nausea. I was doing all right considering the fact that I was being tortured "physiological" ghost. Hours past without anything odd happening, I thought I was safe. I was beginning to think it was all in my head. Then, my mom gave me a letter, it had no return address, and smelt like something died in it. While plugging my nose and carefully opening the envelope, I managed to read it...

************

_Dear Kate,  _

_I will see you tonight...._

_***********_

Weird, I thought...

Night came, and nothing _seemed_ to be out of the ordinary.

_"Hi"_

I knew that soft-whispery tone.

"Andy?" I said, looking in all directions

_"Yeah"_

So many things went through my mind. What was I suppose to say?

"Andy, why are you here?"

_"I said I needed help...DUH!"_

"YEAH, BUT WHY ME?" He thought for a while.

_"You'll find out when the time is right."_

"Where are you?" I asked with caution.

There was a silence.

_"Turn around." _He finally said.

My heart sank. He's dead! What am I to expect, Prince Charming? Slowly I turned around to meet my fears…

_"BOO!" _He said. His face was bright and cheery.

I saw the face of a normal (but dead) boy, not ghost. I studied him for a few minutes.

_"Disappointed?" _He asked slightly floating

"In a way..." I said still studying him." I mean no blood poring out of your skull, or melting flesh on your reveled bones, or the constant chanting of 'brains'. What kind of ghost are you?"

_"That's disgusting! All I asked for is your help!"_

"Sorry...so what do you need help with?"

_"Look Kate, I was murdered three years ago. The police told my parents that it was all just an accident or suicide, but I know in my lack of heart I was killed and you are the only one that can help."_

"And you need ME because...?"

_"BECAUSE YOU'RE ALIVE OK? ARE YOU HAPPY?" _I sensed he was lying.

"Fine then what do you need me to do?"

_"Go to my grave, it's in the cemetery near the school..."_ Wonderful! I thought._ "I've left a clue that was found on MY body on the soil, to who my murderer is..."_

"WAIT! Why can't YOU just tell me?"

_"Well, first off what are you going to tell the police, that a teenaged ghost told you he was murdered by so-and-so? Plus, I...can't remember..."_

"What?!"

_"Yeah well that's what happens when you're dead, you forget things, and don't we all?" _He said sheepishly

I gritted my teeth.

"It's up to you Kate, please help me out..."

As much as I regretted it I had to help him, or else he might…I don't know, haunt me to death…

"Fine I'll help, but first tell me why you enrolled my school, I mean what the point?"

"So I could help…" He looked so innocent.

"All right then...to team work." I said

What have I gotten myself into?...


	6. Chapter 6: Clues

Chapter 6

CLUES

***********

After school the next day I met with Andy at the graveyard. The walk there was grueling, I was told so many bone-chilling stories about this place. Poor Andy, I thought. It was very cold today, unusual for spring weather. Andy was wearing shorts, and a short sleeved Tee...

"Chilly today huh?" I said to Andy. *Was I really talking to him about the weather?*

_"I guess..."_ He said unsure.

"'You guess?' It's odd weather for spring don't you think?"

_"I really can't tell"_

"Can ghosts... feel?" I asked him.

_"No, not really."_ He said.

"Explains the apparel." I muttered. He seemed to hear me because he started to chuckle.

After we walked together for a few minutes, he stopped me.

_"Well here we are."_ He said

I stood paralyzed.

_"Come on, my home is your home."_

"I don't think I want to be in YOUR home."

He laughed.

_"Well see anything?"_ He asked

"No. Wait…wait hold on, I think I got something."

I picked up a piece of clothing. A swatch from a jacket perhaps, I really couldn't be sure. But what I was sure about; I was this much closer to finding Andy's murderer, and this closer to getting my sanity back.

_"Alright!"_ He said satisfied.

"How did it get here anyway?" I asked him

_"I said I would find you a clue and so I did....it was at the sight of my body dump...before they found me."_ Andy said

"Well, now we just need to match it to the hundreds of people that live here. Are you sure you don't remember ANYTHING about your murder?" That felt odd to say.

_"I don't know who but I do know where."_

"Really? That's great, where?!"

_"New York..."_

"What!" I screamed.

_"No."_ He laughed_ "Somewhere in the county park."_

"Good, because I am not schlepping myself to New York just because a confused ghost told me too..."

"_Can't I have ANY fun?" _He laughed

"NO!" I narrowed my eyes

I know it sounds weird, but I think I befriended a ghost.

_"Kate can you be honest?"_ he asked

"I'll try..."

_"Are you...afraid of...me?"_ He asked in a whisper.

"Andy, I not even sure if all this is real...if you are real...I can honestly say I'm not afraid of you...but more or less the idea of you..."

He was silent for a while. "That doesn't make the least bit of sense!" he yelled

"Neither do you." I shot back. "Anyways, this scrap of clothing is not going to help us with your murder case....is there anything that may help us identify your murder?"

"I thought you'd never ask..."


	7. Chapter 7: The Hideout

Chapter 7

THE HIDEOUT

After our grand adventure in the graveyard, Andy decided to pay me a little nighttime visit. I was fast asleep when Andy came. His presence is extremely conspicuous. The air grows cold, the room begins to smell like a funeral home, and lastly Andy will appear to me. He really DOES know how to make an entrance. I then felt a tickle at my nose when…

"_You snore funny…." _

"AHHHHHHH!" I screamed, "Andy, what the hell are you doing here?"

"_We need more clues."_ He said very bluntly.

"Now?" I said trying to cover myself with the bed sheet.

"_Yeah what better time then now, besides I want to take you somewhere." _

"Good God…." I covered my head with my pillow.

"_Relax you'll still be alive when we get back." _

"Fine but we have to be back by four got it?"

" _I completely understand. So, ready?" _He asked offering his hand.

"For what?"

Next thing I knew I was up in the air. Andy held me tightly as we levitated in my room. Suddenly He was heading straight for the window.

"Are you CRAZY!" I yelled

"_Yes." _

Time held still, I WAS GOING TO DIE! Then we were outside, both of us.

"Am I dead?" I moaned.

"_No."_ Andy said

"Where are you taking me?"

"_Places…" _

I was so consumed with anger that I had failed to realize I was flying. The stars zoomed past us. Andy held me tightly to his cool body. I shivered. Then we had reached our destination….an old tree house.

"_Well here we are, this is my 'ghostly hideout' oohhhhhhhh."_ said Andy trying to be 'spooky'.

"What are you five?" I said crossly

"_No." _

Andy floated up to the top into the 'hideout'. I climbed my way up.

"_Watch your step."_ He warned

"Whatever…"

The place was an absolute MESS! Papers, and other junk were sprawled across the room.

"Typical…." I said rolling my eyes

"_Neat huh?" _

"Sure…"

Andy started to rummage through his…filth. I looked around.

"Cool poster. I have one just like it." It was of my favorite band.

"_Oh yeah I love them. Max Bemis is a genius."_

I began to explore. With my first step I had already stepped on a paper. Picking it up I discovered it was a newspaper. The headline read:

LOCAL BOY COMMITS SUICIDE

"Why would you keep this?" I thought aloud

Andy looked up.

"_It's amazing what lies people make up." _

"Oh, Andy I'm sorry." I said putting the paper down.

"_No it's fine, it's not YOU'RE fault." _

I did more rummaging and found photos….disturbing photos.

The images were of a boy being brutally stabbed to death. I gasped and tossed the pictures. I began to cry.

"_What's wrong?"_ Andy said flying quickly over to me. "Oh you found them…."

"Andy….what is this?" I said not even looking at him

"_I didn't want to show you those yet." _

"Why couldn't you have given these to me BEFORE? I could have given them to the police and said I found them in a dumpster or something!" I said, my eyes started to fill with tears.

"_Katie, these are not considered evidence…"_ He trialed off

"WHAT? These REEK of evidence it PROVES you were murdered!"

"_I didn't want you to get in trouble. I just wanted someone to hang out with." _He began to cry himself.

"Why would I? I…I…wait….what did you say?"

"_I didn't want you to get in trouble?"_

"NO you idiot! The other thing."

"_Oh…that….well I DO really like you and from the first time we met I thought you were pretty and…" _

"Was that first clue even legit?"

"_Well no…but…."_

"NO! No buts Andy you lied to me! You DID commit suicide! You weren't murdered at all! I thought I was here to help you but all I am to you is a…a PLAYMATE!" I stormed off and went my way home.

"_Katie wait! For your information I was murdered, I didn't commit suicide, and you shouldn't be wondering the streets ALONE!" _

"I'm outta here."

"_Katie!"_ He said grapping my arm _"If you get hurt I'll NEVER forgive myself, YES I lied about the first clue thing but that was just to get you're attention. Besides, bad things can happen and night, at least let me take you home safely."_

"Fine."

We were on our way home when the shadows began to move. A tall man with grizzly features appeared in front of us in a flash. His face was partly reviled in the moonlight

"Children should not be wondering around in the night. Bad things can happen to wondering children. Why don't you let me take you kid home?" Said the man

"No need sir." I said shaking "We were just on our way home."

I backed away quickly. Andy lingered in front of the man. He looked at him with so much hatred and disgust. He then angrily thrust his foot forward into his groin area. The man let out a painful shriek.

"Are you nuts!" I screamed

Andy did not look nor answer me. He just lifted me up and flew me to the safety of my home, unnoticed.

When we reached my room it was five in the morning.

"That was a dumb move Andy, you could have gotten me KILLED!"

Andy sat on my bed and looked up at me.

"_Katie, tonight you encountered a bad man…." _

"What?"

"_That man is the man who stole my life." …_


	8. Chapter 8: Three's a Crowd

Chapter 8

THREE'S A CROWD

I didn't sleep at all that night. The fact that I've been face to face with a murderer did not exactly lull me to sleep. The next day at school Julie greeted me at my locker. It felt like I haven't talked to her in years.

"Hi buddy." She said

"Hi" I said half asleep

"Yikes! You look horrible, rough night?"

"That's what she said!" some gorilla, I didn't know, yelled.

"Yeah…" I trialed off

We began to walk to our first class.

"You've been hanging out with that freaky new kid a lot." She said looking at me suspiciously.

"Who? Andy? He's my mom's friend's son, and she told me I have to be nice to him." I lied.

"Yeah, but you don't even answer the texts I send you anymore. I wanted to go to the mall with you yesterday, but because you never answered I went with Chelsea…"

"Chelsea Holloway?" I said in shock.

"Well, yeah…."

I hated that girl inside and out. She is the classic bitch. She had transferred to our school from Wakemen High a few months ago. She's beautiful, popular, and cheerleader. In just two months at our school, I had already made an enemy of her. I went out with her ex-boyfriend, who broke up with me anyways just to crawl back to her. Julie hated her too, so it made me wonder why she would consider even talking to her.

"Why her?" I yelled

"Chelsea's nice, once you get to know her."

"No! She's a bitch! A nasty, cold, heartless bitch, YOU even said that!"

"Hey! Well maybe you should stop hanging out with people I don't like, then I'll stop hanging out with people you don't like!"

She walked away, and I just stood there. Tears streaming down my face. So it was a jealousy thing….

I walked to my class my stomach was in knots. Andy was there…perfect

"Hey!" He said with a grin on his face.

I didn't even look at him. I didn't WANT to look at him.

"What's wrong? You ight?"

"NO! I'm not 'ight'! I feel like shit!"

"Whoa! Why?"

"Look, I just don't want to talk okay?"

I avoided everyone that day. I was scared; I was losing my grip on reality. When school finally ended I went straight home. Julie came over to my house to apologize.

"Look, I'm sorry I overreacted today, I'm just worried about you. You seem…different ever since that Andy kid came to our school. "

After we made up and hugged we heard a noise in my closet, and the smell of lilies and candles filled the room….oh shit….Andy…

"What was that?" said Julia

"It's nothing!"

"No no…I heard something."

Julie bravely opened the closet door, and there was Andy sitting on the floor with my sweater over his head. See, this wouldn't look so bad, but did I mention that my parents weren't home?

"AHHHHHHH! GET OUT OF HERE YOU FREAK!" Julie screamed

"Julie calm down!'

"No! I will not calm down! You and him….Katie he's in YOUR room!"

Julie's rant turned into mumbles, and at this point an Andy sat on my bed. I was thrashing my head against the wall.

Julie turned to Andy, looked him straight in the eye and said, "If you're making her do things she doesn't want to do so help me God I will MURDER YOU!"

Andy began to laugh so hard his pale face turned blue.

"Is he laughing at me? IS HE STUPID?"

After Andy finished his laughing fit he spoke between little giggles

"Well…heh….the fact is I AM making her do things she doesn't want to do, and…"

Julie's screams cut him off.

"You're a dead man!" she said in a low tone.

While gritting her teeth she went for his throat. Her hands went right through his larynx.

"Holy crap!" she screamed

Andy laughed and floated over by me. Julie's eyes followed.

"What are you?" she asked

"Well if you must know, I'm dead." Andy said with a smug smile

Julie nodded slowly. "So it is true….you do exist."

And so, Andy told Julie all about all the adventures I've had with him. Julie was listening attentively, soaking up every detail.

"Wow, so you have no idea who could have done this to you?"

"Nope."

"Wow" Julie repeated

"Although we did run into him, didn't we Katie?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"WHAT?" Julie shrieked

"We ran into a sketchy looking guy last night, and Casper thinks it's the guy who killed him." I explained

"Well are you okay? Did he touch you?"

"No." I said looking away

"I want to help." Julie announced

"How?" Andy questioned

"I have my ways."

"Okay then it's set, welcome to team spooky."


	9. Chapter 9: No, Andy

Chapter 9

No, Andy

After admitting Julie to the team things started to change. She treated our mission as if it was a life or death situation. Well…technically it's death but you get the idea. Julies was hard at work everyday after school. I had no idea why she was so in to this stuff. Julie is your typical girly-girl. It never fails to amaze me how different we are from each other, yet such close friends. Me…well I'm a different story. I am the type of girl who is very shy, Julie on the other hand is loud and enthusiastic…but not in an obnoxious way of course. I favor skateboarding and death metal when Julie does not, but it's that kind of chemistry that brings us together. I wouldn't have it any other way. Andy is full of life, despite the fact he is dead, his presence alone lights up the whole room. He is the definition of a true friend. Together we formed Team Spooky, the only team in the universe that helps the lost souls from the great beyond, and has a 10 o' clock curfew.

Julie had been spending countless days on the Internet for news articles that may help us. Specifically looking for the article on Andy. Anything depressing, or tragic always ends up in the papers. It wouldn't be so difficult if the ghost you're working with doesn't even remember his own name. Two weeks and a tub of ice cream later we found it.

"Look!" said Julie "I think I found it."

I looked at Julie with such distain.

"If you're your screwing around with us again so help me God I will…"

"_NO!"_ Andy had stopped me before I could finish. _"This IS it…" _His eyes were glued to the monitor.

The article read…

_14-Year-Old Boy Commits Suicide; Friends and Family Morn._

_On April 12, 2008, 14-year-old Andrew Stewart, of Lodi New Jersey, was brutally stabbed to death. Police say the wounds were proven to be self inflicted. Friends and family are shocked and said this isn't the Andy they know. A close friend told police; Andy had recently broken up with his girlfriend, whom they say he loved very much, which may have triggered his drastic actions. Everyone loved Andy, says teachers and classmates, and he will be missed. Funeral services will be held at St. Joseph's Church from 12:00 to 2:00. _

"_Andy, is this the newspaper you had in the hideout?" I said_

"_What hideout?" asked Julie_

"_I remember…"_ Andy whispered, totally ignoring what I had just said

"What do you remember?" Julie asked him.

"_The girl…I…I loved her and she loved me…but…__I__ broke up with __her__."_

I started to get worried. "Andy?"

"_Chelsea…" _ He said

"Is that her name?" asked Julie.

Andy nodded his head.

"Do you remember how she reacted?"

"_Not very well…"_ he responded.

We were quiet for a while. We had to let it all sink in.

"What about you're school, do you remember its name?" I asked breaking to silence.

"_No…"_ and he disappeared.

"Andy? Where did you go?" I asked looking in all directions

On Monday at school, two days after we learned more about Andy's mysterious death, Julie met me by my locker.

"Did you speak to Andy at all this weekend?" she asked

"No, I haven't seen him since you found the article."

"Well it must be hard, you know reading your own obituary."

"I guess, but we've talked about his death numerous times before. He never reacted like this."

"Maybe it's a ghost thing?"

"Dear God, I hope so…"

I entered my first class, science. No Andy. Later, I went to math. No Andy. Lunch, no Andy, dismissal, no Andy, and when I finally reached home… no Andy. He was… gone…


End file.
